Krug Grande Cuvée is the archetype of Krug’s philosophy of craftsmanship and savoir faire: a blend of more than 120 wines from ten or more different years.
Its exceptional finesse is the result of a stay of at least another six years in the cellars. Around twenty years are needed to craft each bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée: the first prestige Champagne re-created each year, beyond the very notion of vintage.

KRUG iD
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This magnum spent at least 8 years in Krug's cellars developing its particular expression and elegance, receiving its cork in winter 2013.

As it is a magnum, we let it rest for even longer, waiting until the Champagne is ready to be enjoyed.

Every year since the foundation of the House of Krug, a new Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée is created to offer the fullest expression of Champagne.

This bottle belongs to the 161ème Édition, a blend of 134 wines 12 different years. The youngest dates back to 2005 and the oldest to 1990. Every glass poured from it is the fruit of more than 23 years of careful craftsmanship.

Krug Grande Cuvée 161ème Édition was composed around the harvest of 2005. It was a year of patience and diligence in which a mild winter was followed by a hot, overcast summer. While the harvest in Champagne officially began on 12th September, every decision at Krug is based on tasting and so the House chose to wait a further week. The generous yield revealed an exceptional level of freshness.

The wines of the year - which made up 68% of the final blend - revealed a vibrant character. To complement this and imbue the blend with Krug Grande Cuvée's distinctive fullness of flavours and aromas, a select number of wines were chosen from the House's extensive library of reserve wines from over 14 different years. Among them, Chardonnays from older years and a diverse selection of Meuniers bring the shine, generosity and depth so essential to every Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée.

The final composition of this bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée is 44% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 19% Meunier.

Krug Grande Cuvée is born from the dream of one man, Joseph Krug, to offer the very best Champagne every single year, regardless of annual variations in climate. Each year, the House of Krug honours this dream with a new Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée: the fullest expression of Champagne.

Eric Lebel

Tasting notes

As you taste it, notes of toasted bread, hazelnut, nougat, barley sugar and jellied fruits may take you by surprise. You may even taste hints of apples still on the tree, flowers in bloom, ripe and dried fruit, almonds, marzipan, gingerbread, sweet spices and even brioche and honey.

You may also notice its exceptional freshness in the mouth, with rich and tangy flavours of lemon and grapefruit enhanced by the subtlety of its fine and elegant bubbles. Krug Grande Cuvée can age beautifully.

Krug Grande Cuvée’s generous aromas will transform a simply prepared fish into a symphonic gastronomical experience. A Chef’s treasured creation from the sea will become even more exquisite when its flavours marry on the palate with the subtle freshness of Krug Grande Cuvée.

Over twenty years go into creating each bottle of Krug Grande Cuvee,
to pair it with black truffle is to create a union of the best of Nature’s offering.
Simply the smell of fresh, delicate truffle is enough to evoke the fresh scents
of autumn fruit in Krug Grande Cuvee; they can be combined in any way,
no matter how simple, the experience is unforgettable.

The simple artichoke, which appears so fleetingly
throughout the culinary calendar, makes a harmonious
partner for Krug Grande Cuvee.
Pureed it is aromatic and velvety,
reflecting the subtle hazelnut notes of Krug Grande Cuvee.

As the nights draw in, the evocative warmth of toasted chestnuts is irresistible.
Smokey, crunchy and yet soft, chestnuts enhance the wines
which compose Krug Grande Cuvee which can reach up to 15 years of age.
A simple association, together they achieve sublime refined elegance.

Krug Grande Cuvée lends itself to a wealth of culinary combinations, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, from an extra-mature parmesan to turbot à la truffe.
Among the many possibilities, it can be enjoyed as an aperitif with Jabugo ham and old comté, with a dish of oysters, grilled shrimps, Indian or Moroccan food, as well as with desserts such as carrot cake, tarte tatin and cheese cake.

ratings

"The Wines of our twenty years"

"Krug has always remained Krug. And Krug Grande Cuvée, in edition after edition, remains an incredible palette of grape varieties, terroirs and different years with confounding harmony. None symbolises better than Krug Grande Cuvée this quest of perfection centered around the foundation itself of Champagne wine: blending."

Bettane & Desseauve 2015

Note: 19/20

“This is all about balance and the integration of power and finesse, with finely honed acidity supporting flavors of quince paste, dried black cherry, spun honey and candied orange zest, while rich notes of roasted walnut, coffee liqueur and toasted cardamom resonate on the finish. Hard to stop sipping. Drink now through 2028. ”–AN

For Krug Grande Cuvée, I have chosen Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. It is one of the most generous masterpieces, full of joy, full of greatness, with a kind of majestic presence. I think it goes beautifully with the open spirit and generous fullness of Krug Grande Cuvée.